Teach Me Communism

We're starting a new series on the revolutionary movement in Ireland. Part 1 covers the initial imperial subjugation of Ireland, the Easter Rising, and all the way through to the Election of 1918. In particular we focus in on James Connolly, and how his socialist ideals affected the revolution.    Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecom...

In today's episode, we talk communes in the most unlikely of places: Texas. From early utopian socialist projects and their many struggles to more modern day attempts to build a life off the grid, Christine leads our discussion of the cool (and not so cool) features of Texas communes and their place in the leftist movement.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @tea...

It’s time to talk about Christine’s “favorite” thing: charity. We start with a reading from Andrew Carnegie, who has some... ideas. Then we talk about how charity isn’t the solution and do a lot of yelling about rich people. Classic stuff.    Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommunism  ...

We dive back into the troubled waters of Eduardo Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America. Of course there's imperialism and exploitation, but this time we learn about foreign "aid" and why there should always be quotation marks around that phrase.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommun...

This week we dive into the brutalization and imperialism of Latin America by reading Eduardo Galeano’s preeminent book on the subject. From conquest to resource extraction to puppet dictators, we learn how and why this continent has been pillaged for profit.    Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com...

For this mailbag episode, we tackle prison abolition, study tips, Marxist theory, India's general strike, a cool Milwaukee mayor, meditation, landlords, and the fact that Christine is, in fact, smart. And hot. Yes, they're writing the episode notes this week, how could you tell?   Check us out on social media: Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com...

In today's episode, we learn about Vladimir Lenin, a guy who actually knew how to violently seize power... and a guy that got things done. Whether that's for good or for ill is for you to decide. We'll discuss the good and the bad, the feuds and the theoretical developments, and of course, that revolution. Enjoy!   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism...

To round out 2020 and ring in a new year, we’re finishing up a two-part reading series on Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Friedrich Engels. We’re covering the last section, which is all about how capitalism is pretty much doomed. Will we all go down with the ship, or will we free ourselves and finally leave behind the struggle for survival as just a relic of our past. Let’s see what Engels pr...

This holiday season, we’re starting a two-part reading series on Socialism: Utopian and Scientific by Friedrich Engels, Karl Marx’s BFF. We’re covering the first two sections, which are all about how utopianism isn’t great, how idealism isn’t either, and how dialectics are the best (even if they mean everything is always dying). Enjoy! Be a nerd and read along with us! Break out your own trusted c...

In today’s episode, we’re talking trains and revolution in our discussion of Bong Joon-Ho’s 2013 dystopian sci-fi film Snowpiercer. Tune in to hear about the perils of eco-fascism, Christine’s Rules for Revolution, and to finally figure out once and for all… what was up with the fish?   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmai...

On today’s episode, Christine delivers a report on the government of Kerala in India! They’ll teach you all about the origins of the leftist parties there, what the Kerala model is, and how the people of Kerala have created a better world for themselves by focusing on human needs rather than GDP. Sounds great, right?   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommu...

This week we get a brief history of the Black Panther Party. We go over their key players, goals, mutual aid programs, and their interest in solidarity. And of course, we talk about how our "good friends" at the FBI tried to stop all this! Ugh, THOSE guys.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/te...

This Thanksgiving, we’re talking small businesses. Why do capitalist societies hold them up as the best thing since union busting? Are they actually any better than big corporations? Should leftists try to “shop small” or does that actually do any good at all? And in our second segment, we give you a holiday gift guide for the leftist in your life.  Stay safe out there, comrades! Check us out on s...

This week, we’re here, we’re queer (well, one of us is), and ready to cheer (for the fall of capitalism). We talk queer theory, a brief history of LBTQ+ movements in leftist spaces, and what we can do now to better support the community.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommunism   An...

Today we talk about the troubling, tenuous, and at times terrifying transition of power… in the Soviet Union in 1953. That’s right, we’re watching the 2017 film The Death of Stalin by Armando Iannucci. What’d we like? What could’ve been better? What actually happened? We discuss.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com...

Well, that was weird. Join Christine and Grady for their morning after Election Day takes. We bemoan the electoral hellscape of the United States, make fun of pundits, and think about how to move forward in this totally normal country of ours.    Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommuni...

On this week’s episode, we learn about more socialist and communist parties! Picking up from where we left off in Episode 17, we trace the history of the Socialist Party of America, the Communist Party USA, and the Democratic Socialists of America (among others) from the 20th century to today. We even form our own parties! Kinda.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter...

Real gamerz only!!1! This week, we discuss video games that have some commie stuff in them, including: Papers Please, Democratic Socialist Simulator, Democracy 4, Stellaris, Tonight We Riot, Tropico 6, Hearts of Iron 4, and Disco Elysium. Also I hope you didn't take the real gamers only thing seriously, please tell everyone you know to listen to us, that would be great, actually.   Check us out on...

It's a mailbag episode! Join Christine and Grady as they answer questions from their awesome listeners, spanning such topics as RBG, China, patents, and more. Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommunism   And like and subscribe to us at Teach Me Communism on YouTube!   Solidarity forever...

In this episode, we learn about the life and times of that famous communist guy from the t-shirts and posters. That's right, it's Che Guevara! We look at the good and the bad from a leftist perspective, plus: we reveal the results of our cat poll.   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecomm...

EARLY EPISODE! Well, we barely survived, but we actually watched the debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump. We give our condolences to the moderator, guess about Trump’s favorite Star Trek captain, and overall laugh/cry at the despair-filled wasteland that is this election. But, uh, enjoy, I guess!   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: tea...

Should people get a universal basic income? Is UBI good? Who came up with it? And why the heck are so many dang tech bros into it? We tackle these questions and more, including whose cat is best (VOTE FOR REMY, THE ORANGE TABBY AND PRINCE OF ALL).   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecomm...

In today’s episode, the tables are turned as art history expert Christine teaches Grady about Russian Constructivism! What was it? Where did it come from? How did it influence and how was it influenced by communism? Tune in to find out!   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommunism     A...

REUPLOAD: apparently I didn't upload the whole file last time. Thanks for catching that, faithful listeners! Where did all this communist stuff come from, anyway? Russia, right? Well, maybe not. This week we look into the history of early socialist and communist parties in the United States up to the Russian Revolution. Turns out we were here all along!   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @...

In this special alcohol-induced episode, we talk about everyone's favorite old linguist! We also ramble quite a bit, covering topics such as food history, race, gender, Mario Kart, cats, and World of Warcraft. Hey, we had wine, remember?   Check us out on social media! Instagram: @teachmecommunism Twitter: @teachcommunism Gmail: teachmecommunism@gmail.com Patreon: Patreon.com/teachmecommunism   An...